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On the heels of a master class given by Kenneth Gilbert at Converse College, Spartanburg, SC (spring 1979) the following letter was sent to "his" mailing list by Dr. George Lucktenberg:
Converse College, School of Music
January 4, 1980
Dear Friends and Colleagues,
Do you find that long-distance travel costs are rising so fast that it's no longer possible to afford attendance at national meetings of historicalkeyboard interest groups? I certainly do. Maybe it's time to do more things closer to home ... we are yet rather thinly spread and it's easy to imagine that one is operating in a vacuum. ... I propose that we gather here on February 9th to share ideas, enjoy each other's company of common interests, try out instruments, and celebrate past and present progress. . . . Before adjournment, I plan to inquire whether or not we should attempt to establish a Southeastern Historical Keyboard Society, with those in favor as a charter membership. If there is sufficient sentiment to do this, a committee of officers could be elected to draw up a charter and tentative plans for 1980. Failing such motivation, the idea can be shelved or abandoned and we shall still have had a pleasant day together.
On a snowy February 9, 1980, my baroque fiule player, my Martin French double no. 67, my husband, and I converged on Spartanburg, SC (in the upstate) with other early keyboard enthusiasts. The program (see pp. 131-32) came off much as intended. This was my first exposure to many persons in attendance. I remember Rudy Kremer's excellent slides, the duo of Howell and Ennulat, Tom Marshall and Jock Darling, and Robert Parkins attempting to use George Lucktenberg's Italian single (an antique not working well that day) and finally playing on my Martin. This group met to discuss the formation of an historical keyboard organization and in the end took up a collection to begin such a society. These very trusting souls gave the money to me! I returned home to open an account. Why me? I never liked being responsible for money, not my own, let alone that of others.
In March of 1980 George mailed a report of our gathering to his mailing list, stating the principal points that...